Eobeet m



(No Model.) R. M. KEATING.-

HOME BASE FOR GAME 0]? BASE BALL.

No. 357,675. Patented Feb. 15,1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT M. KEATING, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO B. F. HYDE, OF SAME PLACE.

I HOME-BASE FOR GAME OF BASE-BALL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,675, dated February 15, 1887.

Application filed November 27, 1886. Serial No. 220,032. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT M. KEA'IING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, Hampden county, State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Home-Bases for the Game of Base-Ball, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of an improved home-base; and it consists in the combination and construction, as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claim.

My invention is fully illustrated in the ac companying drawings, in which 7 Figure I is a plan view of a home-base constructed upon my principle. Fig. II is an elevation of the same. Fig. III is a sectional elevation on the dotted line 00 m of Fig. I. Fig. IV is a perspective view of one section of my device, and Fig. V is a View in perspective of the other section inverted.

Heretofore home-bases have generally been made of one plate or block of hard substance such as wood or iron-let into the earth in its proper position at one end of the diamond, but painful accidents frequently occur from falls upon this hard surface forming the base, and also, in batting, the end of the hat, by hitting upon the base, will disagreeably jar the hand holding the bat.'

Another form of base which has been patented consists of a wooden peg with an iron cap, on which an iron plate is swiveled, and a sand-bag is secured to said iron cap.

My improved base I form of two sections, B D. The one B is adapted to be permanently let into the earth, and is of material not injured by heat or moisture, and is adapted, when in position, to be firmly held by the surrounding earth to present a face nearly flush with the earth surface. The sectionD is formed of rubber, to present a smooth outer surface in size conforming to the dimensions required for the face of the base. The rubber section D and section B are adapted to be united by spurs or projections upon the under side of section D conforming to and coming opposite sockets in the part B.

In operation the rubber plate D is placed over the section B and the spurs are crowded down into place to hold the rubber face nearly flush with the earth and firmly in position, beyond the possibility of being displaced by the foot or bat. When the game is over, the section D is easily detached from the section B and placed under cover, or carried home with the rest of the apparatus of the game.

In the drawings, spurs d are shown upon section D, formed of pieces of rubber tubing, plugged upon their ends flush with the outer face of the section D, so as to leave no depression in which the heel or any part of the shoe of the player could catch. These spurs d are received in sockets b in section B, as seen in the sectional view, Fig. III. The tube-spurs d, being fast and in effect integral with the rubber section D, can be, when they are pushed into sockets b, tightened therein by having the plugs h crowded into the sockets to wedge the tubes therein.

A reversal 'in the position of the spurs and sockets is considered an equivalent construction.

In practice the section B is hollowed out to lightenit,whileleavingan outside wall against which the earth, when pressed, has a firm bearing. 1

The base thus formed is quickly combined,

bottom section of substantially the full size of 8 5 the base (said section adapted to be buried in the ground so as to have its top nearly on a level with the ground) and a rubber mat forming the top section, said sections connected by a plurality of spurs entering sockets, all combined and arranged substantially as described.

ROBERT M. KEATING. 

